a world of silence
by Nathan Dripps
Summary: This is the origin story of Yukihira Jei, son of two of the most famous chefs in the world. Some might call him a failure. some might call him a mistake. But Jei's nothing if not his parent's kid. He's got the drive of his dad and the resolve of his mom. And his ears. His one tool in his isolated world.


A world of silence

For Yukihira Jei, life as a six year old could never be boring. The world always provided him with entertainment. He was definitely a kid who counted his blessings, a trait he had received from his dad from an early age and cultivated as he grew. He loved the sights of the world, the way snow feels on his skin, the warmth of the morning sun breaking the cold night, and, of course, his family. His parents were great chefs, having traveled mostly everywhere in the world too show of their awesome cooking. And his older sister, Emi, was following in their footsteps.

In fact, that was the one thing he didn't love. Jei was too young to travel with them! They were too busy to watch him at any time when they were cooking all day and night, and Emi was with them too he was even more lonely! It was one of _the _worst parts of his life.

Luckily, it wasn't too bad. Or hardly bad at all, really. When his family was away, he would be sent over to Italy where he would stay with Uncle Takumi and Auntie Megumi for the week! And it worked out, 'cause mommy and daddy mostly only traveled during summer breaks, so he wouldn't miss any school.

"Okay! Jei-chan, you ready?" Auntie Megumi smiled at him, smoothing down his outfit. Jei blinked, coming out of his reminiscence.

He grinned back, deep amethyst eyes shining brightly in his waiter's uniform. Oh, this was gonna be exciting! The first time he would help out in a _fancy_ restaurant, unlike the one at home. Of course, Auntie Megumi would help him out, but once he got the hang of it, he could become a way better waiter! He would be _so _efficient, dad wouldn't even know what hit him! Jei wriggled in excitement.

Auntie Megumi thought this would be a surprise, but he had actually heard about the plan before his parents left.

_Jei snuck down the stairs, listening in on his parents and the Aldini's conversation. He was _really _sneaky, so much so that sometimes he could scare his mom into jumping like a_ cat_! Even if she got mad after, he didn't care, because dad would laugh, which made all of them laugh. (even mom—she let out small giggles.) _

"_Thanks again, Takumi, Megumi." his dad said. Jei couldn't see anything, relying only on his hearing to get what was happening. It was lucky his hearing was super, super great. _

"_Oh, it's no problem, Soma, we can take care of him. You know he's always welcome here!" Uncle Takumi spoke._

_His dad turns around (Jei can hear the feet move with clarity) but before he opens the door, Jei hears his mom's hand landing on his shoulder. "Hold on, Megumi? Could I ask a favor?"_

_Auntie Megumi lets out a squeak at being addressed, but quickly recovers. "Y-yes, Erina?"_

"_Could you maybe, I don't know...show him around? Maybe let him cut some veggies up, or serve some customers, or something? His self esteem is on the low side at home, and it would be great if you could let him help out a bit."_

_Megumi responds quickly, saying, "Oh! Of course! He's already a _very _helpful boy, you know—" but then Takumi interrupts the conversation with a whisper. "hmm. I dunno...my kitchen? We've got some important people showing up this week—OW!"_

_Auntie Megumi had elbowed him. "Takumi. Don't."_

_His next words come out in a meek stutter. "Oh-okay. H-he can help out."_

_Jei's eyes widen. This was interesting! He could—he could help out! For real! Jumping up, he runs up the stairs to the spare bedrooms, careful not to make any noise. Oh, man! _

* * *

"Oi, Megumi! Jei-chan!" Uncle Takumi opened the silver doors into the kitchen where Jei and Megumi stood. "Ready to go?"

Auntie Megumi stood up from her crouching position, walking up to kiss uncle Takumi on the cheek. Jei made a face.

"You bet. Ready, Jei-chan?"

Jei grins. "You bet!" and with a laugh, he goes to his battle station to prepare for the oncoming storm of customers.

It was a whirlwind for most of the day. Auntie Megumi showed Jei how to take orders, and soon he got the hang of it himself. He even gave suggestions based on what other things customers have asked for. For instance, one time, a customer who ordered a chestnut pie muttered under his breath that he could have done with some pears, so when he recommended that to the next customer who ordered the same thing, and that customer was very grateful.

And plus, uncle Takumi was very proud of his Italian!

Jai's ears were working full time figuring out which dishes were ready, which people were ready to pay and which were ready to order.

For some reason, Auntie Megumi only let him help out the old lady tables, which, even though they were really nice, he felt like he could handle some _other _demographic.

So, with a smirk on his face, he walked over to a group of respectable-looking adults wearing very fancy suits. He overhears them talking about ordering their dishes; the tall guy on the right is thinking about a _cacciatore_, a dish surrounded by peppers and tomatoes, the short bald guy on the left mentions his want for the aged dish of _bresaola_, and the guy in the middle with glasses is hungry for a light _risotto. _Taking purposed strides, the son of the god tongue and the rogue of food, Yukihira Jei walks up to take their order.

"We ready to order?" he asks proudly in strong Itailian.

The men appear startled, but the taller man turns to him. "Are you lost, little boy?" he lets out a laugh, trying to threaten the youngest Yukihira.

But, among other things, Jei inherited the ability to be completely and utterly dense from his father. So naturally, he tilts his head, saying, "no, why would I be? I'm here to take your order of course!"

To this, all three of the suit-wearing men laugh out loud for a few seconds, and then the glasses-man says, "why don't you run along, boy. We haven't decided yet."

Jei blinked. _But didn't they just decide? _"A-are you sure? Mister, didn't you want a _risotto_ just now? And," he points to Left Guy, saying, "you wanted a _bresaola_, and," he points to Right Guy, "you wanted a _cacciatore,"_

There's something you have to understand about six year olds. If they hear someone tell a lie, they _will _point it out. Every time. So of course, when the men already decided their orders but told Jei that they hadn't, he had to say something. It only made sense to his six year old brain!

But what 6 year olds do not have is tact. What Jei did not realize in this moment was that the men told him that they weren't ready, not because they wanted to lie, but instead because they did _not want him to take their order_.

So, to them, it was even more disconcerting when he told them what their orders were! And they were going to order those dishes just as soon as someone like Megumi took their order, which meant that they _only _told him the lie just to make him go away.

The middle man popped a vein. "Little boy, do you know who we are?"

Jei shakes his head. "No, mister, but your suit is very fancy!" he answers cheerfully.

Another vein pops. "Boy, didn't your mommy or daddy tell you to stay away from fancy-suited men?" He growls.

Jei shakes his head. "No, Mister. My dad always told me this,"

"_Jei, if you ever see someone with a fancy suit, go up to them and say, 'I'm Yukihira Jei! And someone like you will never be better than me in any way!"_

(the context of this particular quote is...a very long story.)

He pops a third vein. "Yukihira Jei?" and under his breath, he mutters, "_the failed food child. Of course he takes my order._"

The comment catches Jei off guard, causing him to lose focus for a second.

But a second is all it takes.

The man on the left whispers, "_I heard he's completely taste-deaf! An embarrassment to the Nakiri line!" _

Jei steps back, becoming overwhelmed.

From the table behind him, the mother of two crying kids growls "_We shouldn't have come here."_

Jei brings a hand up to his face.

Two tables from his left: "_Why is it taking so long!"_

His eyes widen.

Finally, the man on the right yells, "Kid, you going to leave or what?"

And Jei breaks. The sound smashes into him, causing his stomach to flip and him to feel like he's going to throw up. Jei hears every clatter of forks, every argument, every step taken. He's overwhelmed.

Children cry.

Couples argue.

Food is chewed.

Glasses spill.

Mothers yell.

_Jei hates his ears._

But suddenly, Auntie Megumi is there, and Jei has a support. "Excuse me, sirs, a minute." she says politely to the fancy-suited men. "Jei-chan, do you wanna be done for today?" She whispers in order to mind his sensitive hearing.

Jei nods through salty tears and hiccups. Megumi smooths his hair, saying, "why don't you to the kitchen to chill out a bit?"

Jei stills. He hates the kitchen, but he's not about to say that to Auntie Megumi. So, gripping her hand, he follows her back through the steel doors.

It's strange, isn't it? Just this morning he loved the kitchen! Jei was so excited to work in it, too! He loved the sounds it made, from the clattering of synchronised cookware and the whooshing of the food being passed around.

But that's all it was. Sounds.

Now, it felt like a chaotic screech of all the worst noises ever: the screaming kettle, the frantic chefs, the beep of the timers announcing overdone food.

And the food?

The flavors that danced on your tongue, the smells that tickled and seduced your nose? Jei never had that. Each dish was a gray lump on a plate. Each aroma was a dull smoke that his useless, _useless _nose refused to acknowledge. And taste?

What was taste, anyway?

The world of gourmet, the one Jei's parents and sister loved, cultivated, and thrived in? The world where magic was performed in kitchens every day?

That was a world of silence even his perfect ears couldn't hear.

"Would you like me to call your mother, Jei-chan?" Megumi spoke with worry, shaking him from his thoughts.

Jei hesitated. "Sure," he says in a whisper, watching a plate of _risotto _being brought across the kitchen.

Megumi takes out her phone and dials Erina's number. When she picks up, Jei catches a bit of the conversation.

"_Megumi, this better be good." _his mom's voice barks out. "_I'm serving a man by the name of Guy Fieri. He's kind of important, so make it quick."_

For a moment, Megumi breaks into her nervous self. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, E-erina! It-It's J-Jei-chan! He h-had a b-bit of a b-breakdown s-so I thought t-to c-call you b-but if S-soma-kun i-is available I can—"

About halfway through the call, Jei hears his mother freeze as a plate is thrown to the ground. "_Megumi_."

Megumi's eyes widen. "Y-yes?"

"_Let. Me. Speak. To. My. Son."_

"Y-yes."

A shaking hand gives the phone to Jei.

"M-Mom?"

The change in tone is immediate. "_Sweetie, are you okay?"_

'K-kinda…"

Erina's voice gets even quieter. "_How was it until your ears hurt?"_

"F-fun…"

"_Fun? That's good! Well, how about you rest a bit?"_

That was the plan, but Jei feels better hearing it from his mom. "Okay,"

"_Hey, when we get back, we can go see one of those bands play like you've been wanting too?"_

This is unexpected, but Jei rolls with it. "S-sure. That'd be c-cool…"

* * *

When that day comes around, it's just Jei and his mom. They took a jet to New York, going to the concert in Radio City Music Hall. It's a jazz concert, something that Jei's never heard before.

As they sit in the theater, Erina ruffles his red locks. "Now remember what the doctor told you. Focus on which sounds you want to hear, and tune out the ones you don't."

Jei nods. He's a good boy, he's done this his whole life. He can handle it.

But when the music starts, Jei is nearly overwhelmed. Each sound from each instrument is its own noise, but they all work together in a beautiful harmony. Jei's ears thrust him into a world of music, full of louds, quiets, shorts and longs. He hears how the harmony of Jazz is caused by the instruments battling against each other, like each is dominating for the top.

Through the corner of his eye, he catches his mom looking at him with worry, like he might not handle the chaos.

He grins back at her.

He can handle it just fine.


End file.
